Seventeen Migrants Feared Dead En Route to Spain’s Balearic Islands
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Seventeen Migrants Believed Dead En Route to Spain’s Balearic Islands After 15 Days at Sea
Tragic Journey and Ongoing Rescue Efforts
Initial Discovery and Survivor Testimonies
MADRID, Aug 4 (Reuters) – Seventeen migrants died trying to reach the shores of Spain’s Balearic Islands after 15 days of travel, authorities said on Tuesday, citing the testimony of two survivors who were rescued from a boat off the coast of Mallorca.
Both survivors, who were from North African countries, showed signs of malnutrition and dehydration, and were hospitalised, the Spanish government’s office in the region said.
The two survivors said 19 people were originally onboard the vessel. Authorities could not independently confirm the deaths.
Search and Rescue Operations
An emergency helicopter was mobilised to search the area near the location of Tuesday’s rescue, as well as to issue a notice to mariners, the government’s office said.
The boat was found about 13 nautical miles southwest of the island of Mallorca, in the Mediterranean Sea.
Other Incidents and Ongoing Search
In a separate case near Mallorca later on Tuesday, authorities said they had rescued 17 migrants alive and two deceased from a boat that is believed to have been carrying around 30 people and that search efforts for the remaining passengers were continuing late on Tuesday.
Migration Routes and Trends
The route from Algeria to the Balearic Islands was the fastest-growing migratory passage into the European Union from January to June of this year, even as overall arrivals to the bloc fell, according to EU border agency Frontex. Overall arrivals to Spain were down close to 25%, the latest data from Spain’s Interior Ministry showed.
Smuggling Tactics and Policy Responses
Frontex said last year that smugglers were switching their operations to Algeria from Morocco over what were perceived to be less stringent controls and were using faster boats.
Spain has sought to strengthen its cooperation on migration control with Algeria in the past year.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Javi West Larrañaga and Joan Faus, Editing by Aislinn Laing and Aurora Ellis)
